Web conditioning apparatus



I I Feb. 4, 1969 J.J.WETZLER -3,425,306

WEB CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 28, 1965 Inventor Justin J. wetler- B3 3243i, 8 fl-l-kornegs United States Patent Oflice 3,425,306 WEBCONDITIONING APPARATUS Justin J. Wetzler, Evanston, Ill., assignor to F.W. Means & Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed-Oct. 28,1965, Ser. No. 505,512

US. Cl. 83-210 1 Claim Int. Cl. B26d /32 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thepresent invention relates to a web conditioning apparatus and moreparticularly it relates to an improved means for severing a continuousweb length into predetermined lengths after conditioning of the web.

In applications where predetermined lengths of webbing are conditionedfor re-use it is economical and convenient to-'process the web in acontinuous web form during the conditioning process. To this extentseparate web lengths must be joined into continuous web form. It isessential, of course, to re-separate the web into predetermined lengthsafter conditioning for re-use in the original length form. One use ofweb lengths of the type noted above is in continuous towel cabinets forwashrooms, or the like, where a predetermined length of toweling ismounted 'between rollers and being discharged from one during use indrying the hands while simultaneously being taken up.

on the other roller. After use these towel lengths are taken to alaundry for cleaning and conditioning for re-use in the cabinets.

Preferably the individual lengths of webbing (or toweling) are joinedinto a continuous web prior to processing or conditioning so that theconditioning line may be run without interruption. After the Web iscleaned or otherwise conditioned for re-use it must be separated at theseams for packaging and in this manner made ready for re-use. Separationof the continuous web is made at the seam to avoid laps or seams withina given length of webbing.

The present invention is directed to the provision of an improvedapparatus for a web conditioning apparatus for automatically severingthe continuous web into predetermined lengths at the seam.

It, accordingly, is a general object of the present invention to providean improved web conditioning apparatus for processing a continuous weband for severing the continuous web into predetermined lengths afterconditioning.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of animproved web severing means for a web conditioning machine wherein theweb is automatically severed into predetermined lengths at the seams inthe continuous web.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision ofweb conditioning apparatus that includes improved severing means havingmeans to temporarily interrupt the web drive means to sever a web lengthfrom the continuous web.

An additional object of the present invention resides in the provisionof web conditioning apparatus having an improved severing means that iseconomical to manufacture and maintain, that is easy to use and that isdurable in use.

3,425,306 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 The novel features which are believed tobe characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. The invention itself, however, together withfurther objects and advantages thereof, will best 'be understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic representation of a portion of a webconditioning line including the web severing section of said line;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a portion of the seam sensingmeans of the apparatus illustrating the seam engaging fingers;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view, partly in section, of theswitch means of the same sensing means for temporarily interrupting thepower supply to the drive motor of the apparatus and to energize thesevering element; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic diagram of the circuit involved in the drivemeans and severing means of the apparatus of the present invention.

Referring more particularly now to FIGURE 1, a portion of a conditioningline for a continuous web is schematically represented at 10. Aninspection table 11 may be provided to receive the conditioned web fromthe last stage of processing and to provide an area for scanning of theweb to determine whether it is satisfactorily conditioned and whetherdefects exist that would direct rejection or diversion of the web. Thewebbing W passes through a pair of pinch rollers 12-13. The rollers12-13 may be utilized to pull the webbing W through the last stage ofprocessing which may be an ironing stage in the case of continuoustoweling for washrooms.

The webbing W passes from the pinch rolls 12-13 to and between rolls 18and 20 mounted in over-under relation. It should be observed, however,that a loop forming pit may be interposed between the pinch rolls 12-13and the rolls 18-20 of the severing means. This wouid permit continuousdischarge of webbing from the laundering apparatus while the severingmeans is stopped temporarily for separation of web lengths prior topackaging.

The roll 13 may be a tension roll providing means for maintaining aconstant tension on the webbing W with a direct feed between the rolls12-13 and the succeeding stage in the sequence in the absence of theloop L therebetween. The tension roll is mounted to rest upon the uppersurface of the webbing in direct transfer from the rolls 12-13 to thesucceeding stage. In web tensioning operation the roll 13 would rest onthe upper web surface and would move an arm 13 through an arc dependingupon the tension required on the webbing W.

The rolls 18 and 20 are mounted on suitable support means and inabutting relation so that the webbing W may be pinched therebetween andpulled from rolls 12-13.

A motor 22 is connected through a reducer 24 to a drive shaft and pulley26. A drive belt or chain 28 is connected to a pulley 30 secured to theaxle of the drive roll 20 thereby completing the drive relation betweenthe motor 22 and the drive roll 20.

A support table 34 is mounted between the rolls 18 and 20 and thetransport belt 36 of the conditioning apparatus. Belt 36 carries thesevered lengths of webbing W along to the packaging stage of theprocessing line. The table 34 supports the webbing during transferthrough the severing stage of the processing line. It should be notedthat the table 34 may be a moving belt which may be commonly driven bythe motor 22 through suitable drive means (not shown).

Sensing means 32 is mounted above the table 34 and downstream of therolls 18 and 20. The sensing means is adapted to detect the passage of aseam S and to control the operative condition of the drive motor 22.

Severing means 40 is located downstream of the sensing means 32 and isadapted to sever the continuous webbing W at the seam S intopredetermined lengths of the same character as initially introduced tothe conditioning line.

After the webbing W is severed at the seam S into a predetermined lengthsaid length is carried along the belt 36 to the packaging stage androlled or otherwise placing in condition for reuse. It is, of course,important in many uses to sever the continuous webbing at the seam andto avoid having seams interspersed along the length of the webbingsections. Such seams may cause difficulty in use if the webbing is to bedispensed in an automatic or manual dispensing machine.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the sensing means 32 is mounted so that thewebbing W will pass between fingers 42 and 44 extending therefrom. Thefingers 42 and 44 are arranged in spaced apart relation a distancesufficient to permit the normal web thickness to pass freelytherethrough. This spaced apart relation of the fingers may be varied toaccommodate varying web thicknesses with the space being just greaterthan the web thickness. The fingers are held in a predetermined spacedrelation by spring tension, or the like. Web fiexure or varyingthicknesses within web tolerances may cause slight finger deflection.This slight deflection can be accommodated by the switch element so thatcircuit continuity will be maintained.

The webbing processed in the conditioning apparatus may initially be ofpredetermined lengths. For example, toweling for use in continuouscabinets may be in fifty foot lengths. Since one of the more economicalconditioning techniques involves continuity of operation thepredetermined web lengths are joined together to form a continuous webwhich then is passed through the laundering or other conditioningapparatus. After the Webbing has been conditioned it must be re-cut intothe predetermined web lengths at the seam for packaging and for reuse.

The webbing may be joined by overlapping terminal portions of weblengths and stitching the web lengths t gether. Joining in this mannerresults in a seam thickness that is at least twice the normal webthickness. Another method of joining may involve placing the terminalportions of web lengths in end-to-end relation and then stitching theweb ends together. The stitching, of course, extends above and below thewebbing and again results in a seam area that this thicker than thenormal web thickness.

When a seam S passes between the fingers 42 and 44 the greater seamthickness will cause the fingers 42 and 44 to deflect in the directionof seam travel. The fingers 42 and 44 are parts of a switch elementwhich when so deflected will interrupt the power supply to the motor 22and cause the motor temporarily to stop (as described below).

At the same time the severing means 40 is activated to cut thecontinuous web W at the seam juncture and to sever the conditionedportion of webbing from the continuous form. The conditioned, severedweb segment then is passed along to the belt 36 for transport to thepacking means (not shown).

The switch element 46 for the sensing means 32 is illustrated in FIGURE3. The web W is illustrated as moving downwardly in the view of FIGURE 3and into the fingers 42 and 44 (only the top finger 42 being shown).Fingers 42 and 44 are biased toward each other with a spring, or thelike. When this bias force is exceeded the fingers 42 and 44 will bespread apart a distance which will be a function of the spreading forceacting on said fingers in opposition to the bias force. Thus, when theseam S moves into the fingers, the fingers 42 and 44 first will becarried along with the seam. As the fingers are moved along the contactelement 48 aflixed to the finger elements will be moved out ofelectrical engagement with the mating contact element 50 to break thecircuit defined by side A of the power supply (schematically representedin FIGURE 4). As the seam S continues to move along it will carry thefingers until the limit of movement of the fingers is reached. At thistime the spreading force of the moving seam area will exceed the biasforce holding the fingers in predetermined spaced relation and thefingers 42 and 44 will spread slightly to permit the seam S to passtherebetween.

The control apparatus for the device of the present invention isillustrated schematically in FIGURE 4. The motor 22 and solenoids 54 and56 are connected to the power supply 51 across A and B. The motor 22 isconnected between sides A and B of the supply through a variableresistor 23 to provide means for varying the speed of the motor 22 andthereby the take-up and drive characteristic of the apparatus to varythe rate of withdrawal of the webbing W from the loop forming area L.

The solenoid 54 controls the action of the severing means 40. Whencircuit continuity is defined through the solenoid 54 the severing meansis withdrawn and in spaced relation to the path of movement of thewebbing over the table or other support means 34. However, when thecircuit is interrupted as by opening of the switch 46 in side A of thepower supply the severing element of the severing means 40 is moved intothe path of the webbing W to sever the webbing therebeneath.

A time delay bellows 52 is connected to the plunger 53 of the solenoid56 and to the movable switch element of the switch 46.

When the switch 46 is opened by passage of a seam S therebetween thecircuit on one side of the power supply is broken and the power supplyto the motor 22, and solenoids 54 and 56 is interrupted. The severingmeans 40 is operatively connected to the switch 46 such that the seam Swill be directly beneath the severing means when the webbing W isstopped by interruption of the power supply to the motor 22. The circuitto solenoid 54 is terminated when switch 46 is opened, as defined above,and the severing element of the means 40 is brought into contact withthe seam S to sever the conditioned portion of the webbing from thewebbing still being processed in the apparatus. During this period ofinterruption the conditioning line is operated so that webbing is notstalled within the conditioning means at any stage. The webbing beingdischarged from the conditioning means during the interruption forsevering of the conditioned section of webbing will move into a loopforming area at some stage of the processing line to accommodate thedischarged webbing for the brief period of interruption thus allowingcontinuous operation. When the packaging apparatus is ready to receiveanother length of material the operating speed of the motor 22 isadjusted to take up the loop formed during the previous interruption forsevering thereby preparing the system for the next severing operation.The motor speed may be adjusted, as noted above, by adjustment of thevoltage drop across variable resistor 23.

A time delay means must be available during the severing operation topermit sufficient time to fully release the conditioned length ofwebbing from the webbing still being conditioned. This time delay may beachieved with a bellows time delay, or similar functional apparatus.When the power supply to solenoid 56 is interrupted by opening of theswitch 46 the plunger 53 is moved to collapse the bellows 52. One endplate of the bellows 52 is connected to the moveable element of theswitch 46 to control the position thereof during the severing operation.When the bellows is in a collapsed condition the moveable element 48 ofthe switch 46 is held out of engagement with the mating element 50 tomaintain the circuit in an open condition. As the bellows 52 expandsafter a predetermined interval, which interval may be regulated byvarying the size of the orifice 55, the switch element 48 is againpermitted to engage the element'50 to re-establish the circuitconnection to the motor 22 and the solenoids 54 and 56.

When the circuit is re-established webbing is drawn between the rolls 18and 20 and into the severing and packaging area of the system; thesevering means 40 is withdrawn from the webbing path through the systemby energization of solenoid winding 54 and the plunger 53 of solenoid 56is withdrawn into the winding of said solenoid ready for the nextsevering cycle.

While a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown anddescribed it will, of course, be understood that other modifications andalternative constructions may be used without departing from the truespirit and scope of the invention. It is intended by the appended claimsto cover all such modifications and alternative constructions as fallwithin their true spirit and scope.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. In a web conditioning apparatus for processing predetermined lengthsof webbing joined into a continuous Web before conditioning and havingmeans to package the webbing at the terminal point of conditioning aftersevering of the continuous web into said predetermined lengths, saidsevering means comprising:

a variable speed drive motor having a power supply to control withdrawalof webbing from the conditioning apparatus and web feed to the severingstage;

sensing means to sense the passage of the seam between successivelengths and to control the power supply to the drive motor said sensingmeans including a time delay switch means operatively associatedtherewith temporarily to terminate operation of the drive motor inresponse to passage of the joined area past the sensing means, saidsensing means including a time delay switch means operatively associatedtherewith temporarily to terminate operation of the drive motor inresponse to passage of the joined area past the sensing means; and

severing means operative in response to passage of a seam past thesensing means to separate the conditioned predetermined length ofwebbing from the continuous web for packaging of said conditionedpredetermined length said severing means being operatively associatedwith the sensing means such that the full termination of movement of themass of the apparatus will bring the seam to the severing means afterpassage through the sensing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,192,811 7/1965 Simmons 83-210 XANDREW R. JUI-LASZ, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 83367, 371, 372

